Not smiling now! Vikings star Adrian Peterson breaks cover to rejoin his team after arrest for whipping his four-year-old son - as billion-dollar sponsors Anheuser-Busch, Visa and others voice disapproval of NFL's handling of player scandals

Anheuser-Busch, Visa, McDonald's and Campbell Soup Co. are all speaking out against the NFL

The league makes nearly $1.1billion in corporate sponsorships alone - to say nothing of the advertising

Governor Mark Dayton said Adrian Peterson should not play football while he awaits trail on child abuse charges

Peterson has admitted to whipping his four-year-old son, but says he didn't mean to injure the boy

The Vikings kicked Peterson off the roster for last Sunday's game, but welcomed him back on Monday

Peterson, a record-breaking running back, is the Vikings' biggest star and highest-paid player

Some of the NFL's top corporate sponsors like Anheuser-Busch, Visa and McDonald's have voiced disapproval over the league's handling of its player scandals - including the decision to allow Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson to continue to play while he waiting trial on child abuse charges.

'We are disappointed and increasingly concerned by the recent incidents that have overshadowed this NFL season,' Anheuser-Busch, the makers of Budweiser and Bud Light beer, said.

'We are not yet satisfied with the league's handling of behaviors that so clearly go against our own company culture and moral code. We have shared our concerns and expectations with the league.'

Peterson was pictured today for the first time since his arrest Saturday for whipping his four-year-old son with a tree branch. Gone is the grin he showed off in his mugshot as he was booked into a Texas jail.

The NFL star seen leaving his Minneapolis, Minnesota, home to join his teammates for practice. The Vikings reinstated Peterson on Monday after booting him from the roster for just one game. Team owners announced that the Vikings' biggest name and highest-paid player would be back on the field this week and play in this Sunday's game.

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton says that's unacceptable.

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Not smiling now: Adrian Peterson scowls as he leaves his home outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Tuesday in the first photos of him in public since his arrest Saturday on child abuse charges

Peterson has admitted to whipping his son, but says he didn't mean to injure the boy. The Vikings kicked him off their roster for one game - but reinstated him on Monday

Peterson was pictured driving away from the Vikings' practice facilities on Tuesday after rejoining his team on the field

'Whipping a child to the extent of visible wounds, as has been alleged, should not be tolerated in our state. Therefore, I believe the team should suspend Mr. Peterson, until the accusations of child abuse have been resolved by the criminal justice system,' Gov Dayton said in a statement today.

Anheuser-Busch, McDonald's, Visa and Campbell Soup Co. are among NFL sponsors who issued statements and said they have questioned the league over the handling of the arrests of Peterson and Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice.

Radisson Hotels said Monday it was suspended its sponsorship of the Vikings over the allegations against Peterson.

The NFL makes nearly $1.1billion a year for brands to associate themselves with the league. That figure doesn't even count the billions more the brands spend on advertising.

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The NFL responded by saying: 'We understand. We are taking action and there will be much more to come.'

Peterson has admitted he whipped the boy with a switch in May - but says he was only handing out the same kind of discipline he had as a child and claims he never meant to injure the boy.

Grinning: Peterson smiled in his mugshot after he was arrested Saturday on child abuse charges

Police photographed numerous open wounds across the four-year-old's legs, back and buttocks. The boy even sustained wounds to his genitals.

Peterson is also now accused of injuring another young son last June, a month after the whipping.

A photo shows the boy suffering from a head wound covered by two bandages, while other images reveal a scar over his right eye.

Peterson's importance to the Vikings is hard to overstate. He is a former MVP who hold several NFL records for rushing. His six-year, $86million contract makes him by far the highest-paid player on the team.

His 1,266 rushing yards last season accounted for nearly a quarter of the entire team's offense. He scored ten of the team's 45 touchdowns.

Unlike a previous case involving former cornerback Chris Cook, the Vikings have decided to allow Peterson to return to the field while the legal process unfolds.

In 2011, the Vikings suspended cornerback Chris Cook with pay after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend and barred him from all team activities while his trial played out. Cook wound up missing 10 games and was eventually acquitted. He never faced discipline from the NFL and played two more seasons with the Vikings before signing with the 49ers.

Governor Dayton waded into the Peterson controversy as the National Football League is battered by criticism. The charges against the Vikings star came out the same week that a new video emerged showing Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his then-fiance in the face and knocking her out.

Rice had been given just a two game suspension for the domestic violence arrest. When the new video emerged, the league suspended him infinitely and the Ravens dropped him from the team.

In the latest abuse case, Adrian reportedly sent the boy's mother a text message claiming his son had smacked his head on a car seat.

Weighing in: Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton said the Minnesota Vikings should suspend Adrian Peterson while he awaits trail. Peterson is by far the team's biggest star

Brutal: It comes just hours after Peterson spoke out for the first time since his arrest for severely whipping another of his children with a wooden switch. Above, police released these images of the boy's wounds

Back on the field: Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings' biggest star, was reinstated by the team after being kicked off the roster on Saturday. He will play next week against the New Orleans Saints

However, when she questioned him further, he is said to have later admitted hitting the child, texting: 'Be still n take ya whooping he would have saved the scare [scar]. He aight [all right].'

Peterson later revealed he had disciplined his son for cursing at his sibling, but refused to disclose his method of punishment, it is claimed.

Although the boy's mother filed a report with Child Protective Services, no charges were ever made against Peterson. The player's attorney declined to comment on the latest allegations.

However, sources close to the investigation have told TMZ that the reason no charges were made is because the child accidentally hit his head on the car seat while Peterson was punishing him.

A witness reportedly told Peterson's attorney that the star 'did nothing inappropriate with his son', while the form of discipline was said to be deemed 'not impermissible' under Texas law.

But this evening, Randy Burton, a former chief prosecutor of family crimes in Harris Country, branded the alleged abuse 'absolutely criminal'.

He added: 'You break the skin, you have bleeding, much less permanent scars, that is a crime.'

Earlier Monday, Peterson claimed he was 'not a child abuser' for whipping another four-year-old son, who has a different mother from that of the latest alleged victim.

'I am not a perfect parent, but I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser. I am someone that disciplined his child and did not intend to cause him any injury,' he said.

Decision: Head coach Mike Zimmer listens as Vikings general manger Rick Spielman talked with reporters today about the decision to allow Adrian Peterson to return to the team

'No one can understand the hurt that I feel for my son and for the harm I caused him. My goal is always to teach my son right from wrong and that’s what I tried to do that day.'

In his statement, he defended the motivation behind the severe discipline he meted out, saying: 'Deep in my heart I have always believed I could have been one of those kids that was lost in the streets without the discipline instilled in me by my parents and other relatives.

'I have always believed that the way my parents disciplined me has a great deal to do with the success I have enjoyed as a man.'

However, Peterson said he has seen a psychologist, who told him that there are usually better ways to discipline children than hitting them. He said he has had to 'reevaluate how I discipline my son going forward.'

The Vikings owners, the Wilf brothers, said they decided to bring Peterson back on the team after 'significant thought, discussion and consideration.

'As evidenced by our decision to deactivate Adrian from yesterday’s game, this is clearly a very important issue. On Friday, we felt it was in the best interests of the organization to step back, evaluate the situation, and not rush to judgment given the seriousness of this matter.

'At that time, we made the decision that we felt was best for the Vikings and all parties involved.'

'My attorney has asked me not to discuss the facts of my pending case. I hope you can respect that request and help me honor it. I very much want the public to hear from me but I understand that it is not appropriate to talk about the facts in detail at this time. Nevertheless, I want everyone to understand how sorry I feel about the hurt I have brought to my child.

'I never wanted to be a distraction to the Vikings organization, the Minnesota community or to my teammates. I never imagined being in a position where the world is judging my parenting skills or calling me a child abuser because of the discipline I administered to my son.

'I voluntarily appeared before the grand jury several weeks ago to answer any and all questions they had. Before my grand jury appearance, I was interviewed by two different police agencies without an attorney. In each of these interviews I have said the same thing, and that is that I never ever intended to harm my son. I will say the same thing once I have my day in court.

'I have to live with the fact that when I disciplined my son the way I was disciplined as a child, I caused an injury that I never intended or thought would happen. I know that many people disagree with the way I disciplined my child. I also understand after meeting with a psychologist that there are other alternative ways of disciplining a child that may be more appropriate.

'I have learned a lot and have had to reevaluate how I discipline my son going forward. But deep in my heart I have always believed I could have been one of those kids that was lost in the streets without the discipline instilled in me by my parents and other relatives. I have always believed that the way my parents disciplined me has a great deal to do with the success I have enjoyed as a man. I love my son and I will continue to become a better parent and learn from any mistakes I ever make.

'I am not a perfect son. I am not a perfect husband. I am not a perfect parent, but I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser. I am someone that disciplined his child and did not intend to cause him any injury. No one can understand the hurt that I feel for my son and for the harm I caused him. My goal is always to teach my son right from wrong and that’s what I tried to do that day.

'I accept the fact that people feel very strongly about this issue and what they think about my conduct. Regardless of what others think, however, I love my son very much and I will continue to try to become a better father and person.'